News

Amendments to UK data protection law in the event of a no deal Brexit

17/12/2018

Following the publication of its technical notice in September 2018 on “Data protection if there’s no Brexit deal”, the government has now published an online summary covering what amendments would be required to UK data protection law in the event of a no deal Brexit.
The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (EUWA) will retain the GDPR

VAT on property service charges

11/12/2018

A new Revenue and Customs Brief (6-2018) entitled VAT exemption for all domestic service charges has recently been published by HMRC. The brief explains changes to the Extra Statutory Concession (ESC) 3.18 VAT: exemption for all domestic service charges may be applied. The ESC was introduced in February 1994 to enable the same VAT

Are you ready for VAT filing changes April 2019?

11/12/2018

The introduction of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT is fast approaching.
From April 2019, some 1 million businesses with a turnover above the VAT threshold (currently £85,000) will have to keep their records digitally (for VAT purposes only), and provide their VAT return information to HMRC through MTD compatible software. The

Is your income approaching £100,000?

11/12/2018

For high earning taxpayers, the personal allowance is gradually reduced by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income that exceeds £100,000 irrespective of age. Adjusted net income is total taxable income before any personal allowances, less certain tax reliefs such as trading losses and certain charitable donations and pension contributions.

Qualifying for VAT special schemes

11/12/2018

There are three main special VAT schemes available to small businesses. These are the flat rate scheme, the annual accounting scheme, and the cash accounting scheme. The turnover levels for joining and leaving these schemes vary.
The flat rate scheme is open to businesses that expect their annual taxable turnover in the next 12 months

When is lettings relief available?

11/12/2018

In general, there is no Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on a property which has been used as the main family residence. This relief from CGT is commonly known as 'private residence relief'. However, where all or part of the home has been rented out, the entitlement to relief may be affected. Home owners that let all or part of their house may not

How the £1,000 trading allowance works

11/12/2018

There is a £1,000 tax allowances for miscellaneous trading income that has been available to taxpayers since April 2017. This is known as the trading allowance. The income raised from these kinds of ventures is usually supplemental to a taxpayer’s main income, but this is not always the case.
The exemption from tax applies to taxpayers

Citizens’ rights in the event of a no deal Brexit

10/12/2018

The government has published a policy paper on what might happen to EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, in the event of a “no deal” Brexit.
The government has confirmed that those EU citizens and their family members who are resident in the UK by 29 March 2019 will have their rights protected, i.e. they will be able to

Could you claim expenses and an early tax refund?

04/12/2018

HMRC is reminding employees that they may be able to claim a tax rebate if they have incurred certain expenses related to their employment. HMRC’s press release on the matter specifically identifies workers including nurses, hairdressers, construction workers and those in retail and food that have to dip into their own pockets to pay for

X-factor VAT bonus

04/12/2018

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond has announced that the government will waive the VAT equivalent on the sales of this year’s X-Factor Christmas Charity single. All proceeds from the sale of the single are going to two children’s charities; Together for Short Lives and Shooting Star Chase Children’s Hospice.
Both charities provide support

Employing someone to work in your home

04/12/2018

When you employ someone to work in your home, it is your responsibility to ensure you meet the employee's rights and deduct the correct amount of tax from their salary. This can include employees such as a nanny, housekeeper, gardener or carer. The rules are different if the person is self-employed or paid through an agency.
If you

UK VAT claims by non-EU businesses

04/12/2018

The VAT paid in other EU countries is often recoverable by VAT-registered businesses in the UK, who bought goods or services for business use. The amount of VAT that is refundable depends on the other countries' rules for claiming input tax. It is important to note that VAT incurred in foreign countries can never by reclaimed on a

HMRC writes to taxpayers in Wales

04/12/2018

HRMC has written to two million taxpayers in Wales concerning the introduction of the Welsh rates of Income Tax (WRIT) from 6 April 2019. The WRIT will be payable on the non-savings and non-dividend income of those defined as Welsh taxpayers and WRIT taxpayers will receive a new tax code, starting with C for Cymru. A proportion of the

Taxation of termination payments

04/12/2018

In the 2016 Budget, the government announced that termination payments over £30,000 would be subject to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) from April 2018. In the 2017 Budget, the government further announced that this change would be delayed for a year with the changes set to come into force from April 2019. A further delay

Who can or cannot claim the Employment Allowance

04/12/2018

The Employment Allowance of £3,000 per year is available to most businesses and charities to be offset against their employers Class 1 NIC bill. The allowance can be claimed as part of the normal payroll process.
An employer can claim less than the maximum if this will cover their total Class 1 NIC bill. Eligible employers that have not

When you can utilise overlap relief

04/12/2018

The assessment of self-employed or partnerships profits is usually relatively straight-forward if the accounting date, to which accounts are prepared annually, falls between 31 March and 5 April. However, overlap profits can arise where a business year end date is not coterminous with the end of the tax year.
Overlap profits can happen

Statutory employee benefit pay to rise from April 2019

02/12/2018

In a written ministerial statement, the government has announced the proposed new rates for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP), Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP), Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for tax year 2019/20.
The proposed revised rates are as follows:
The standard weekly

Tax Diary December 2018/January 2019

28/11/2018

1 December 2018 - Due date for Corporation Tax due for the year ended 29 February 2018.
19 December 2018 - PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5 December 2018. (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 December 2018)
19 December 2018 - Filing deadline for the CIS300 monthly return for the month ended 5 December